AUSTRALIA – COMMERCE – CHINA

Australia used as example to warn world

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-May-20

The motives for China’s decision to suspend beef imports from Australia continue to attract scrutiny. Richard McGregor of the Lowy Institute says China is sending a message to countries that cross it politically. There have been suggestions that the ban is in retaliation to Australia’s push for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. Stephen Kirchner of the US Studies Centre believes that the threat of punitive tariffs on Australian barley is in response to the anti-dumping duties being imposed on Chinese steel, rather than the proposed coronavirus inquiry.

CORPORATES
LOWY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

Birmingham: Tit-for-tat tariffs not on

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 14-May-20

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says China should appeal to the World Trade Organization if it is still unhappy about Australia’s decision in 2014 to impose a tariff on Chinese steel imports. He contends that China should not seek to resolve an anti-dumping dispute by imposing its own tariff on Australian barley, describing such actions as unjustified. Birmingham adds that there is no evidence to support China’s claim that Australian barley is being subsidised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

Union backs PM over China

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told parliament that the comprehensive strategic partnership with China has been highly successful. However, amid growing tensions between the two nations, Morrison has stressed that Australia will always act in the national interest when relations become strained. Meanwhile, the federal government’s stance on China has received support from Daniel Walton, the national secretary of the Labor-aligned Australian Workers’ Union. He has urged the government to resist pressure from China over domestic and foreign policy decisions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

China unlikely to target iron ore in virus blame game

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 13-May-20

Commonwealth Bank commodity strategist Vivek Dhar does not expect China to reduce imports of Australian iron ore despite the growing trade tensions between the two nations. He contends that China is too reliant on iron ore from Australia, noting that 85 per cent of its iron ore imports are sourced from Australia. Dhar adds that exports of commodities such as coal are at greater risk, as they can be sourced more easily from other countries. Analysts also expect any economic stimulus measures in China to boost demand for steel, and therefore iron ore.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Trade figures underscore economy’s reliance on mining and China

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Original article by Euan Black
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Mar-20

Official data shows that Australia’s trade surplus fell by three per cent to $5.2bn in January, although this was better than economists had expected. The value of iron ore exports was 17.4 per cent lower than the peak in July, while coal exports were down 25 per cent from a May peak. The data also shows that the total value of the nation’s exports to China was 12 per cent lower than the peak recorded in June. This is despite the fact that China accounted for 38 per cent of exports in January. Indeed economist Callam Pickering says the figures demonstrate the Australian economy’s dependence on the mining sector and trade with China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, INDEED INCORPORATED

Australian reliance on China at record

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 1-Oct-19

Data from the Australian National University shows that China now accounts for 38 per cent of Australia’s total exports, compared with 34 per cent in 2018. The value of the nation’s exports to China during the first seven months of 2019 totalled $84bn, which is about $12bn per month, up from $9.8bn a month in 2018. In contrast, Japan’s share of Australian exports was just 16 per cent in 2018, having peaked at more than 30 per cent in 1976.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VALE SA

Chinese trade pullback could cost $25bn

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 22-Aug-19

Andrew Boak of Goldman Sachs warns that the fallout from the US-China trade war could eventually hit Australia. He says growing tensions between Australia and China could potentially result in a sharp fall in Chinese demand for key Australian exports, including education and commodities such as iron ore and coal. Goldman Sachs suggests that in a worst-case scenario, lower Chinese demand could reduce Australia’s GDP growth rate by 130 basis points in 2020.

CORPORATES
GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Chinese prefer Indonesian coal

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal, Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 15-Apr-19

Michael Cooper of S&P Global Platts says new tenders being issued by China’s state-owned power stations are specifying lower-grade thermal coal of the type that is produced by Indonesia. He adds that traders have indicated that the preference for coal from Indonesia rather than Australia is politically motivated. He also notes that Chinese power stations are also favouring coal sourced from Colombia, despite much longer shipping times. There has been speculation that restrictions on Australian coal imports could be lifted at the end of May, but it has not been confirmed by the Chinese government.

CORPORATES
S&P GLOBAL PLATTS, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

US-China trade deal puts pressure on LNG exporters

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 20 : 12-Mar-19

China has sourced about 80 per cent of its LNG imports from Australia, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia over the last eight years. However, there is speculation that negotiations for a trade deal with the US could see China agree to significantly increase its LNG imports from the US. Any such deal could have major implications for Australia’s LNG exports to China, while other exports could also be affected if China agrees to ramp up its trade with the US.

CORPORATES
CHINA PETROLEUM AND CHEMICAL CORPORATION, CHENIERE ENERGY INCORPORATED, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CHEVRON CORPORATION, PETROCHINA COMPANY LIMITED, CHINA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

No conspiracy as coal delays double

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Original article by John Kehoe, Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 25-Feb-19

It is now taking around 40 days for Australian coal to be cleared through five ports in northern China, up from around 25 days. The ports in question receive around eight per cent of the Australian coal exported to China, and less than two per cent of Australia’s total coal exports. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says protection of local coal miners and environmental checks seem to be the main reasons for the delays, while he has rejected any "conspiracy theories" regarding the possible reasons for the delays.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE